Radiator

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a radiator which can facilely detect an erroneous assembly of a gasket interposed between a radiator header and a tank. The radiator, comprises inlet and outlet headers  10  in which a plurality of tube inserting holes  11  are parallely formed at predetermined intervals; inlet and outlet tanks  20  which are disposed to be apart from each other so as to respectively form a flowing path for supplying or discharging cooling water; a plurality of tubes  30  which are inserted into the tube inserting holes  11  so as to communicate with the tank  20  and exchange heat through cooling water flowing therein; a fin  40  which is interposed between the tubes  30  so as to widen heat transfer area; a U-shaped recessed part  12  which is formed around the entire header  10  and which is placed sealing member interposed between the header  10  and the tank so as to seal therebetween; and a plurality of notches  22  which are formed at an inside of the foot  21  of the tank  20  inserted into the recessed part  12  to be apart at predetermined intervals so that fluid is leaked through the notch  22  when the sealing member  50  is erroneously positioned at a place corresponding to the connection part  13  from the recessed part  12  to the tube inserting hole  11 , thereby detecting an erroneous assembled status.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a radiator which can facilely detect an erroneous assembly of a gasket interposed between a radiator header and a tank.

BACKGROUND ART

In a radiator, generally, a gasket is interposed between a radiator header and a tank to seal therebetween and then the radiator header is cramped.

The radiator header is formed with a recessed part for assembling the radiator header and the tank. A lower foot of the tank is inserted into the recessed part, and then a tap is bent so as to fix the tank. At this time, the gasket is interposed between the recessed part of the radiator header and the lower foot so as to seal between the radiator header and the tank. After the assembling, a leakage test is performed so as to check whether the gasket is appropriately assembled. Typically the leakage test is performed in two methods using vacuum and pressure.

FIG. 1 shows a structure of a conventional radiator, in which a gasket 130 is normally positioned in a recessed part 111 of a radiator header 120. In this case, since the gasket 130 having a predetermined compressibility is maintained between the radiator header 110 and the tank 120 so as to be pressed at a predetermined pressure, a leakage is not occurred in the leakage test and thus a leakage of fluid is prevented.

FIG. 2 shows the structure of the conventional radiator, in which the gasket 130 is not normally positioned in a recessed part 111 of a radiator header 120, but positioned at a place where the radiator header 110 is contacted with a foot of the tank 120. In this case, the leakage may not be occurred in the leakage test. Although the gasket is not positioned in place, it may pass the leakage test, but the leakage is occurred later. Therefore, there are frequent occasions when it is misjudged that the gasket is normally assembled because the leakage is not occurred in the leakage test. In the radiator in which the gasket is erroneously assembled, there is a problem that a leakage of cooling water is occurred. Further, in the case that a vehicle having the erroneously assembled radiator is already shipped, the leakage may be occurred in traveling.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a radiator which can facilely detect an erroneous assembly of a gasket interposed between a radiator header and a tank.

To achieve the object, the present invention provides a radiator, comprising inlet and outlet headers 10 in which a plurality of tube inserting holes 11 are parallely formed at predetermined intervals; inlet and outlet tanks 20 which are disposed to be apart from each other so as to respectively form a flowing path for supplying or discharging cooling water; a plurality of tubes 30 which are inserted into the tube inserting holes 11 so as to communicate with the tank 20 and exchange heat through cooling water flowing therein; a fin 40 which is interposed between the tubes 30 so as to widen heat transfer area; a U-shaped recessed part 12 which is formed around the entire header 10 and which is placed sealing member interposed between the header 10 and the tank so as to seal therebetween; and a plurality of notches 22 which are formed at a place corresponding to the connection part 13 connecting the recessed part 12 and the tube inserting hole 11 at an inside of the foot 21 of the tank 20 inserted into the recessed part 12 to be apart at predetermined intervals so that fluid is leaked through the notch 22 when the sealing member 50 is erroneously positioned at the connection part 13, thereby detecting an erroneous assembled status.

Preferably, the foot 21 of the tank 20 has a wider upper width (w2) than a lower width (w1).

Preferably, a depth of the notch 22 is 0.1 to 1.5 mm.

Preferably, the a width (w) of the notch 22 is 0.5 to 1.5 times as large as the depth of the notch 22.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view showing a status that a gasket is normally assembled in a conventional radiator.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view showing the status that the gasket is erroneously assembled in a conventional radiator.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a radiator according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a tank according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view showing a status that a sealing member is normally assembled in the radiator according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view showing a status that the sealing member is erroneously assembled in the radiator according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view showing a structure of a notch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF MAIN ELEMENTS

10: header 11: tube inserting hole 12: recessed part 13: connection part 14: tap 20: tank 21: foot 22: notch 30: tube 40: fin 50: sealing member

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Practical and presently preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrative as shown in the following embodiments.

However, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, on consideration of this disclosure, may make modifications and improvements within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a radiator according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a tank according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view showing a status that a sealing member is normally assembled in the radiator according to the present invention, FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view showing a status that the sealing member is erroneously assembled in the radiator according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view showing a structure of a notch.

As shown in drawings, the radiator of the present invention includes an inlet and outlet headers 10 in which a tube inserting hole 11 is respectively formed in parallel, inlet and outlet tanks 20 which are parallely disposed to be apart from each other and respectively form a flowing path for supplying or discharging cooling water, a plurality of tubes 30 which are connected with the tanks 20, and a fin 40 interposed between the tubes 30.

The inlet and outlet headers 10 have the tube inserting holes 11 which are formed in parallel and in which the tubes 30 are inserted. Each of the header 10 is formed with a U-shaped recessed part 12 in which a lower foot 21 of the tank 20 is assembled. In the recessed part 12, there is provided a sealing member 50 which is interposed between the heater 10 and the tank 20 so as to seal therebetween. Further, the header 10 is provided with a connection part which is extended from the recessed part 12 to the tube inserting hole 11. A plurality of taps 14 are formed outside the recessed part 12 at predetermined intervals so as to be bent so that the foot 21 of the tank assembled in the recessed part 12 can be fixed.

The tanks 20 are parallely coupled to each of the inlet and outlet headers 10 at an interval so as to form the flowing path for supplying or discharging cooling water. At this time, when the tank 20 is coupled to the header 10, the foot 21 of the tank 20 is inserted into the recessed part 12 of the header 10 and then the tap 14 is bent to fix the header 10. Preferably, the tank 20 has a wider upper width than a lower width so that a curved portion of the connection part 13 is closely contacted with an inner side of the foot 12, thereby improving sealing ability therebetween.

The tube 30 is inserted in the tube inserting hole 11 of each of the inlet and outlet header 10, and communicated with the tank 30 so as to exchange heat with external air through the cooling water. The tube 30 is provided in plural.

In order to increase a heat transfer area, there is provided the fin 40 between the tubes 30.

The sealing member 50 is interposed between the header 10 and the tank 20 so as to seal therebetween. As shown in FIG. 5, the sealing member 50 is inserted into the recessed part 12, and then pressed between the header 10 and tank 20 so as to seal therebetween. In this status, since the sealing member 50 is normally assembled, it can pass a leakage test.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the case that the sealing member 50 is positioned at a place corresponding to the connection part 13 from the recessed part 12 to the tube inserting hole 11, that is, the sealing member 50 is erroneously assembled.

Because a plurality of notches 22 are formed at predetermined intervals between an inside of the foot 21 of the tank 20 and the sealing member 50 so that fluid is leaked through the notch 22, a leakage is easily occurred in the leakage test, thereby easily detecting the erroneous assembled status.

As shown in FIG. 7, the notch 22 may be formed into one of (a) circular, (b) hemispheric, (c) weir and (d) semicircular shapes.

If a depth of the notch 22 is too deep, the leakage of fluid becomes excessive, and if the depth of the notch 22 is too shallow, the leakage is not detected. Therefore, it is preferable that the notch 22 has an appropriate depth. Further, if a width of the notch 22 is too wide or too narrow, the leakage is not detected smoothly. Thus, it is preferable that the notch 22 also has an appropriate width. Preferably, the depth (d) of the notch 22 is 0.1 to 1.5 mm, and the width is 0.5 to 1.5 times as large as the depth (d).

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As described above, a radiator according to the present invention can facilely detect an erroneous assembly of a gasket interposed between a radiator header and a tank, even when it is misjudged that the gasket is normally assembled because the leakage is not occurred in the leakage test.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conceptions and specific embodiments disclosed in the foregoing description may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other embodiments for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that such equivalent embodiments do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 

1. A radiator, comprising: inlet and outlet headers in which a plurality of tube inserting holes are parallely formed at predetermined intervals; inlet and outlet tanks which are disposed to be apart from each other so as to respectively form a flowing path for supplying or discharging cooling water; a plurality of tubes which are inserted into the tube inserting holes so as to communicate with the tank and exchange heat through cooling water flowing therein; a fin which is interposed between the tubes so as to widen heat transfer area; a U-shaped recessed part which is formed around the entire header and which is placed sealing member interposed between the header and the tank so as to seal therebetween; and a plurality of notches which are formed at a place corresponding to the connection part connecting the recessed part and the tube inserting hole at an inside of the foot of the tank inserted into the recessed part to be apart at predetermined intervals so that fluid is leaked through the notch when the sealing member is erroneously positioned at the connection part, thereby detecting an erroneous assembled status.
 2. The radiator as set forth in claim 1, wherein the foot of the tank has a wider upper width than a lower width.
 3. The radiator as set forth in claim 2, wherein the depth of the notch is 0.1 to 1.5 mm.
 4. The radiator as set forth in claim 3, wherein the width of the notch is 0.5 to 1.5 times as large as the depth of the notch.
 5. The radiator as set forth in claim 1, wherein the depth of the notch is 0.1 to 1.5 mm. 